Phoneworld, toddler style

At first glance I thought this was humorous - woman (presumably mom, but not necessarily) pushing toddler in stroller while toddler plays with iPhone. And then I thought, this is just wrong. The child is missing all the visual, tactile and auditory experiences around her whilst concentrating on a screen and electronic noises, at such a young age. It's bad enough to see teens and young adults on the streets glued to their phones, unaware of traffic or potential danger - or beauty! - around them. But now toddlers too?

(When I asked if I could take the child's photo, the woman nodded and said to the child, "Say cheese!" Ohhhh, give me patience. I told her I discouraged that.)

A few minutes later Liza and I met up with Laurie who was pushing one of the toddlers in a stroller; we transferred her to my lap (the toddler, not Laurie!) and we scooted back to the house together, talking about the sights and sounds around us. Many stroller and scooter rides ensued, and a long slow ramble around the block, with all five toddlers involved. They were completely engrossed in the scenery around them, the leaves and soil, the new flowers just opening up, the sound of a lawnmower, birds, dogs, cats. I couldn't help but compare their experiences with that of the child with the iPhone.

Yes, there can be a time and place for screens - Laurie sometimes shows them photos on her iPad, such as this one of Taiga, or other Blip photos of owls, which they love. But I think adults need to guard against using screens as the default for play or distraction. A while back we witnessed a woman caring for her granddaughter almost forcing the iPad on her when the child was really more interested in playing with a ball of yarn - which would require some imagination and motor skills.

Nature deficit disorder. I worry.